Letters to the editor

Route 1 accidents aren't speed related

The primary cause of accidents and fatalities on Route 1 between Bethany and the Charles W. Cullen Bridge (Indian River Inlet Bridge) is not due to the speed limit, but in my opinion the misuse of a major highway as recreational arena and the lack of pedestrian and cyclist laws being properly enforced.

This issue comes up routinely and the blame for accidents on Route 1 is always placed on the speed limit and vehicle operation.

As a resident who has to drive that road to go to work weekdays, I see many problems and almost all are not a factor of the current speed limit. I know most people speed at times, however, in the summer I am hard pressed to achieve the speed limit on Route 1.

It is obvious to me that some drivers are unaware that current motor vehicle laws, specifically, Title 21, Chapter 41, Subchapter III, § 4114, require that under normal circumstances, all travel must occur in the right lane except when passing or preparing to turn left. They are also unaware that the Delaware State Code specifies a minimum safe travel speed as to not impede the flow of traffic. Being that these laws are routinely ignored and rarely if ever enforced on this stretch of highway, speeding is hardly the impetus of the accidents occurring between Bethany and the bridge.

The biggest part of the problem is created by casual cyclists that are not seasoned to highway biking and the laws that they knowingly or ignorantly break and that are not properly enforced. Title 21 Delaware Code, Chapter 41, Subchapter XII outlines more than two dozen laws that when followed would significantly decrease the number of accidents involving cyclists.

I often hear cyclists saying they have the same rights as automobiles when on public roads.

This is true, and therefore they should be held to the same level of accountability in following the law as motor vehicles, but this does not seem to be the case.

As with the cyclist, pedestrians too are at fault when it comes to improperly obeying or ignoring the laws in place to make themselves and those around them safer. Most northbound walkers are walking on the north side of the road with traffic. Common sense is to walk facing traffic, and the law stipulates that walkers should walk facing traffic and as far off the road as possible.

This is addressed in Title 21, Chapter 41, Subchapter V § 4146. It has been my experience to have a walker, carrying their coffee, turn their head to talk to the person behind them, and walk into my traffic lane. There are many days when this is a white-knuckle ride for me even though I am driving slower than the speed limit. If I were to hit someone, I feel my life would basically be over. I resent being put in a position where this could happen due to no fault of my own but to laws being ignored that are currently in place that could prevent this.

Drivers on Route 1 are constantly faced with groups of people, some with dogs or other pets on leashes or not, kids on every contrivance of wheeled toy or vehicle, bunched up, walking four or more abreast, and many times walking over the line. They are apparently oblivious to the fact that they are on a state highway.

Additionally, and I don't understand this, why would a person want to tow their child or push them while they ride or jog on a busy highway. The child's little face is at the same level as the emissions from exhausts. This does not make any sense to me.

Realistically, pedestrians and bikers ignoring current laws in place for their protection, and the fact that these laws are rarely, if ever, enforced in this environment is the major problem on Route 1.

Missing in Action - our Congressional team

Our elected officials, Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons and Representative John Carney are back home in Delaware for their summer break.

This is the time many other state's representatives are hosting town hall meetings to connect with their constituents and hear what their concerns are so they can represent them in Washington, D.C.

Where are they?

They have been asked to host town hall meetings to hear the concerns of Delawareans.

Response has been, well, nothing.

We the people of Delaware have a lot of concerns and would like to talk with them. Benghazi, Immigration, Obamacare, Syria to name a few.

They need to man up and meet with the citizens of Delaware, or are they too scared to back up their voting record?